What We’ll Cover:

• Why reviewing your goals is important
• How to evaluate your progress effectively
• Adjusting your goals for long-term improvement

Setting goals is an important first step toward better health and well-being. But what happens after that? Regularly checking in on your goals is just as important as setting them. It helps them stay relevant, adapt to life’s changes, and motivate you. This article explains how to review your goals effectively and adjust them for continued success.

Why reviewing your goals matters‍

Reviewing your goals isn’t about starting from scratch; it’s about looking at what’s working, what’s not, and how to improve.

• Reflect on achievements and challenges
  • Celebrate every success, no matter how big or small—it’s a sign you’re making progress.
  • Identify any challenges you’ve faced and think about what you can do differently to overcome them in the future.
• Measure progress
  • Look at measurable results, like weight changes, fitness improvements, or sticking to meal plans throughout the week.
  • If you find it helpful, track your progress using smartphone apps for tracking exercise and habits, or diaries and journals to record emotions, feelings and other things you're working on.
• Get feedback
  • Identify trends and patterns in your behaviours and progress, and try to identify where things are going well and here change could beneficial.
  • Discuss your goals with your group, mentor, peers and clinicians for valuable support.
• Review your goals
  • Do my goals still feel meaningful and important to you?
  • Has anything changed that makes your goals less realistic or achievable?
  • Do you have the support and resources you need?

Adjusting goals for long-term success‍

Adjusting your goals as life changes is a natural and important part of staying on track. Sometimes, a goal that once felt realistic can become harder to achieve due to changes in your schedule, energy levels, or other priorities. For example, if your goal was to cook every meal at home but a new job or family commitments make that difficult, adjusting to preparing meals a few times a week and using healthy convenience options can help you stay consistent. These adjustments ensure your goals remain achievable and keep you motivated to move forward.

• Break down big goals: If a big goal feels overwhelming, focus on starting small and mastering just one step at a time. For example, instead of aiming to “exercise five days a week,” start by committing to one 30-minute session. Once you’ve built consistency with that, you can gradually add more sessions.
• Allow yourself time: If something is slowing you down, give yourself extra time to adapt. For instance, practice at your own pace if you’re learning a new workout.
• Explore new activities: Add variety by including enjoyable activities that you want to keep doing, this is key to maintaining a goal in the long term.
• Set fresh challenges: Once you achieve a goal, continue to set new goals that keep you working towards something.

Staying motivated‍

Goal reviews aren’t just about tracking progress, they’re about challenging you to be the best version of yourself.

• Visualise success: Remind yourself why you started and what rewards lie ahead.
• Celebrate milestones: Reward yourself for progress with meaningful treats, like new workout gear or a moment of relaxation.
• Reconnect with your “why”: Reflect on or write down your personal reasons for pursuing your goals and what it would mean.

Summary‍

Regularly reviewing your goals is key to staying on track and achieving long-term success. By assessing your progress, identifying areas for growth, and making adjustments to fit your life, you’ll stay motivated and resilient.